The Unknown
by riptide0012
Summary: Leo doesn't really have a plan. All he wants is that happily-ever-after for him and Calypso. Unfortunately, now that he's left Ogygia with Calypso at his side, Leo finds that new dangers await, and it's a struggle to survive. As he soars off into the unknown, it seems that Leo's path may be a lot harder than he expects. [Post-BoO, spoilers]
1. I

**A/N: So this is an idea that I've had since the end of the Blood of Olympus. Basically this is a story about Leo and Calypso and their journey once they leave Ogygia. There will be some old and new characters incorporated, and they all have a mythological background. It will be a lot like the actual series in terms of plot, and I will try to use Riordan's writing style as much as possible. I will post the chronology and the main character's ages later on, once the characters themselves find out when everything is happening. This is going to be from Leo's point of view the entire story, so you will find out everything with him. I don't really want to do a Calypso POV because I'm afraid I'll screw up her character, and she's so amazing the way Riordan wrote her. **

**Probably the most important thing you have to understand before you begin is that this is not a one-shot about Leo and Calypso returning to camp. No. This is a multi-chapter story with a plot and the rest of the Seven and friends will be shown very little, if at all. Leo and Calypso might not even return to camp. You'll have to read to find out. The main struggle is important only to Leo and Calypso and whatever side characters I have decided to include. Got it? Good. I'll repeat it one more time to make sure. ****THIS IS NOT A ONE-SHOT ABOUT LEO AND CALYPSO'S RETURN TO CAMP AND THEIR REUNION WITH THEIR FRIENDS.**** Thanks!**

**Warning: BoO SPOILERS**

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan, and I do not own PJO or HOO.**

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><p><strong>Leo didn't really have any idea <strong>what he was doing. Which wasn't a good thing, considering he was flying on a rapidly deteriorating bronze metal dragon whose navigational systems hadn't worked since he'd left Ogygia earlier that day. He didn't know where he was or even what day or what year it was, and being dead for gods-knew-how-long wasn't really helping him make any estimates.

From what he could tell about his surroundings, it was night. That was pretty much it. The dragon's heat made it hard to tell what temperature it really was. The few times he had taken Festus under the cloud cover before sunset, all Leo had seen were forests stretching into the horizon. The terrain had been hilly, and Leo had a bad feeling that he had been flying in circles like some demented bird of prey for hours. He really didn't want to know what the mortals were thinking, if there were any. There hadn't been any signs of civilization, either.

What Leo did know aside from that was pathetically limited. He knew he had to fix Festus, his bronze dragon, for one thing. Leo still couldn't believe the dragon was back in his old form again, but it was clear from the way Festus was tilting dangerously to one side and smoking from several holes that time was running out. Leo needed to make some repairs, and fast. He didn't even know where he could find celestial bronze either, because according to Festus's scans, there wasn't any in the area. Which was weird, because Celestial Bronze was always hidden in scraps just about everywhere, if you knew how to look. Old heroes tended to throw away their weapons after any tiny defect. Leo thought that was completely stupid, but hey, that meant more scrap bronze for him. Leo just hoped he would be able to find some before they came crashing down in a fiery ball of hero and metal.

Leo also knew that, as cheesy as it sounded, he would be okay with Calypso at his side. Leo knew Piper would go into fits of happiness if she ever heard him say that, but it was true. Watching Calypso slumped forward, sleeping face-down on his shoulder, her caramel hair slowly rising and falling with each deep breath, made a warm feeling rise up in Leo's chest. He had done it; he had saved her from her paradise prison. He had done what Odysseus hadn't done; heck, he had done what Percy Jackson hadn't done, and that guy had done _everything_.

Watching Calypso, he began thinking about his future, something that he had been running away from his whole life. He thought about the repair shop the two would open in the United States, the family he would finally be a part of. He could almost see himself and Calypso growing older – wait a minute.

Leo felt a weird panicky feeling growing in his throat, like he had eaten too much of those spicy chips his mom used to buy him when he was younger. As far as he knew, he was fifteen years old now, but Calypso couldn't be more than sixteen in biological age, and she would probably stay like that forever. That was what Leo liked to call a seriously long time. Sure, she had said that she didn't know if she would remain immortal or not, but she was the daughter of Atlas and Tethys, two Titans. Minor or not, she was a _Titaness_ (Yes, Leo had looked her up in the Argo II. No, it wasn't weird!). Leo couldn't stay with a sixteen-year-old until he was old, because he was pretty sure that would make him a creep.

Leo added another thing to his to-do list: Figure out the mortality situation. That officially made his list two items long, including the whole dragon repair problem. It was times like this that he could really use Annabeth, even though she was a pretty scary person.

Leo was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Festus until it was too late. He didn't notice the dragon's unusually soft creaks until he noticed that they were losing altitude quickly. Leo cursed and rapidly snapped to attention.

_Celestial Bronze below. Lots of it, _Festus wheezed in his metallic language. The dragon continued to fall, but now he was losing control over his descent. They were losing altitude faster and faster, and Leo started panicking. He reached for his Archimedes sphere, but he hesitated when he saw Calypso, still asleep, painfully oblivious to the fact that they were headed for what was likely to be a fiery and painful death. She looked so adorable, Leo felt bad for wanting to disturb her. He was so caught up staring at her that he jumped when her head suddenly snapped up.

"Dang it, Leo!" she yelled over the wind roaring in their ears. "Stop staring at me like an idiot and try to save us!"

Leo frantically took out some tools and began to work on Festus's circuits. "Sorry, Sunshine! Don't worry, Commander Tool Belt has everything over control!"

He fiddled with some circuitry in Festus's head, but there was only so much he could do falling at terminal velocity over some forested landscape. All he was thinking about as he worked as hard as he could was that he would not lose Calypso or Festus again, and he would certainly not die this death, which was much too anticlimactic for Leo's taste. If Leo was being honest, dying because his dragon crashed sounded too boring. Actually, it sounded pretty cool, but that wasn't the point.

Calypso leaned forward and screamed something into his ear, which sounded like a whisper against the roaring winds. "Look down!"

Peering over the side of the dragon, Leo almost felt like crying with joy. There was a huge garden covering a big portion of the hills, lit up by some artificial lighting system. Leo couldn't really make out any details, but it was big and flat enough for him to have a shot at landing safely.

He meddled with a few more wires, praying to all the gods of Olympus that he would finish on time as the lights below got brighter and brighter as they came closer and closer. When he was sure there was almost no time left, he managed to pull Festus up into a steep coast. Although they were still going fast, they were going slow enough to make a relatively safe landing. It wouldn't be a pretty landing, and Festus would need to be repaired afterward, but nobody would get seriously hurt, and Festus would be able to make a full recovery. Probably.

Calypso reached out and hugged Leo, and Leo hugged her back. She smelled like cinnamon, as always, and it was strangely comforting to Leo. The ground came closer with an almost human whistling sound, or maybe that was just their screams. Yeah, it was their screams. They hugged each other tighter, and Leo didn't even get a good view of the garden before the world faded into darkness.

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><p>For once, Leo didn't have any dreams. He wondered if maybe this was a side effect of dying. If so, did that mean that there were other cool side effects? Because that would definitely be a bright side to the whole situation. Before he could continue to ponder the subject, however, he fell into an even darker sleep.<p>

When Leo woke up, he thought he had reached Elysium. He was lying down in the edge of one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen. The sun was seated right above the horizon, and it was growing bigger by the minute, like a balloon being pumped up. The garden itself was made with huge fields of the most beautiful flowers Leo had ever seen, most of which he couldn't recognize. Dotting the iridescent meadows were marble statues of Ancient Greek people. These statues slightly concerned Leo, because they all had looks of pure agony on their faces, and they were so lifelike, they looked like they had been made out of the past demigods that had crashed into the area.

Leo brushed off his concern and looked into the distance, where he saw a tiny castle on the horizon. Leo couldn't make out any details, but aside from it, there seemed to be no other places were there could be human civilization. He doubted that there were people hiding out nearby, waiting for him in the elegant gazebos with fruit smoothies and tasty snacks.

Still lying down, Leo turned his head, and instantly regretted it. Pain flared up from every part of his body, but it was a dull, throbbing pain, like he was extremely sore. The good thing was that he probably didn't have any major wounds, but he was too afraid to check. Behind him, there was a huge forest, but there was something slightly off about it, like it wasn't exactly a forest the way Leo knew it. Leo squinted his eyes and looked closer. He wasn't sure, but was that _bamboo_ in the background? Where exactly was he? Was this some weird, giant Chinese restaurant? Leo wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

Leo stayed lying down for a while as the sun slowly crept over the horizon. He felt himself getting slowly better and better, and that was when he realized that there was an angelic voice singing next to him. The melody was ancient, and the power of the words flowed through him and reinvigorated him with every note. Leo guessed that he hadn't noticed because it fit so perfectly with the beautiful garden ahead of him, he had accepted it as part of the Elysian scene.

He looked up and realized that his head was on Calypso's lap, and that she was where the singing voice was coming from. She probably looked a lot better than him, because she was up and alert. Her head was swiveling around as she sang softly, like a baby that had just seen the world for the first time. Her eyes were wide, and she was drinking in the scene eagerly. She looked so cute that Leo broke out into a grin, which hurt, but not as much as before.

Calypso noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye and smirked down at him. "What now, Commander Tool Belt?"

Leo wanted to ask how Festus was doing, but all he managed to say was some weird strangling sound. Thankfully, Calypso seemed to understand.

"Do you mean Festus?" asked Calypso. She looked off into the distance and grimaced. Uh oh. "He's that pile thing over there, I think." She pointed to some point in the distance, in the middle of the gardens. "Hold on, now that you're awake, let me get you some nectar and ambrosia."

Calypso gently removed Leo's head from her lap and ran off into the distance. Leo pulled himself up in a slow and painful process and sat against a nearby tree filled with beautiful golden fruit that seemed inexplicably dangerous. Leo really didn't like the vibes he was getting from this place, like he didn't belong here or something.

When he saw where Calypso was headed, his heart sank. She was headed toward the middle of some field that looked like it had once been filled with some purple gem-like flowers before it was ruined by a giant metal dragon falling from the sky. Now it had a smoking crater in its center, and in the middle of that was a giant pile of Celestial Bronze that had been broken and beaten until you couldn't distinguish any individual parts. Forget scrap metal, Leo needed a forge to repair Festus. He could only hope that the owners of the palace in the distance were nice people who had a forge filled with Celestial Bronze lying around and liked to help lost demigods in their spare time. But that was highly unlikely.

Calypso soon returned with Leo's backpack, and she began to feed him nectar and ambrosia while singing old Ancient Greek hymns. Leo fell into a dream-like trance, and when he came to again, from the position of the sun in the sky, it was noon. He had the weirdest feeling, like he had fallen asleep in a really boring English class and had completely forgotten what was happening. He looked around and saw Calypso sitting across from him, a picnic set between him and her.

"Eat," commanded Calypso in an almost amused tone. Leo gladly obliged, and he was glad to see that he wasn't the least bit sore anymore.

"So," he began. "Where'd you get all this food? Not that I'm complaining."

"Well, I had this feeling that you didn't actually pack for any emergency situations, even though you practically are an emergency situation, so I packed some."

"Well, thank the gods. I haven't eaten since my past life. I'm starved."

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Shut up and eat." Leo didn't protest.

When they were finished, they packed up their stuff into two backpacks. "I think we should go for the castle in the distance. Gods, everything is so _big_," Calypso said, gesturing to the building in the distance.

"Welcome to the real world, Sunshine," replied Leo. "But yeah, I think that's a good idea. Hopefully there'll be people there, because this silence is giving me the creeps."

Calypso shrugged. "I'm used to it." She turned to face him. "Hey, you know what we should do? We should race. First one to the palace wins. Starting _now_." Calypso took off running, Leo following closely at her heels.

The two ran through the fragrant fields, laughing and stretching out their legs. Leo felt like he hadn't run in forever, and in the back of his mind, he felt slightly worried. Exactly how long had he been out? He had no idea. He cleared his head and began to run even faster, reaching Calypso, who looked like she was having the time of her life.

Eventually, at one of the biggest meadows, filled with so many white flowers that it looked like snow, Calypso stopped and fell down laughing. She looked like she was having some sort of sensory overload, and Leo watched amusedly from a distance.

"Enjoying yourself out there?" he called out.

Calypso pranced, yes, _pranced_, over, and lightly slapped his arm. "Fine. Be that way. But don't you just feel _free_?"

"I'll feel more free once I realize what's going on," Leo said, trying to sound serious, but he felt ridiculously unprepared for the leadership role, like a little kid wearing a business suit. He really wished Jason were here so that Leo could be the one breaking the rules.

"Fine," Calypso replied. "I'll be serious. Let's walk."

Before Leo could reply, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He spun around and got a closer look. He gasped at what he saw, and Calypso gasped from behind him, apparently having seen it at the same time. Tending one of the meadows was an invisible servant just like the ones Calypso had had on Ogygia.

"Um," Leo said, fidgeting. "Is there any chance you know other people who are magically imprisoned, like maybe from a Magical Prisoners Anonymous meeting or something?"

Calypso turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowed. "No, as far as I know, I'm the only one. But my servants, they were a gift from Hera. They were completely unique. I think these are different. Look, they're more machine-like. Mine were clumsier, more human."

Leo took a closer look at the servants, and he realized Calypso was right. These performed their duties with a mechanical perfection, and Leo wondered if they actually were machines. He took out a sphere and began programming it.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Calypso said, a slightly afraid tone in her voice, like she expected the object to explode and kill them. Leo was hurt by her lack of trust. The sphere wouldn't explode unless he told it to. Probably.

In response, Leo pressed a button on the sphere and stepped back as it grew helicopter blades and flew over to the servant. The sphere paused, scanned the area where the servant was working with a blue light, and returned. Leo checked the scan and pumped his fist in the air.

"What is it?" Calypso asked, but now she seemed impatient. "Is it something that's going to kill us in a really cool way or something?"

Leo laughed. "You're doing well, young grasshopper. Day one and you've already learned one of the most important lessons: Almost everything in the real world wants to kill you."

Calypso snorted. "That's really depressing. Also, 'young grasshopper'? What is that supposed to mean?"

Leo clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Yet still so much to learn. Anyway, these servants are just what I thought: machines. And not just any machines, sophisticated machines made of Celestial Bronze and a really cool chameleon exoskeleton that – "

"We get it. They're cool. Does that mean that we can get help nearby?"

Leo nodded his head eagerly. "The machines aren't equipped for war, so we know that the person inside probably doesn't like to kill, and there needs to be a forge nearby to keep up with the rate of repairs. In fact, I think my dad himself might've made these. Scratch that, we're probably not that lucky. But still."

"Well, let's get moving," said Calypso, and they began to walk to the castle, which was getting a lot bigger. As they got closer, they saw more and more of the automatons tending the gardens, and automatons that looked like they were heading out to work in the outskirts. Leo hoped they wouldn't touch Festus, but they didn't seem like they were headed in that direction.

"So," Calypso said. "Have you thought more about the plan? You know, for the future?"

Leo sighed. "First we've got to fix Festus, and then we've got to tell the rest of the Seven I'm all right. And between those two steps, we've got to fix that tiny immortality problem. But you know, then we can go explore the Earth or build a repair shop or whatever you want really."

"Immortality problem?" Calypso said. "What do you mean?"

"There's kind of the teeny issue of you being immortal while I'm not. But you know, no biggie."

Calypso looked concern. "Don't say that. You don't know that. You are _not_ dying on me, Valdez, let me just make that clear."

"Yes ma'am."

"That's the spirit. You know, I'm probably mortal too; people do not age on Ogygia."

Leo turned to look at her. She looked so determined to have some degree of mortality that he didn't have the guts to tell her that that probably wasn't true.

Leo was saved from carrying on the conversation by their arrival at the grand courtyard in front of the palace. The courtyard itself was huge, and the palace was bigger. The courtyard, however, was completely empty; there wasn't a single automaton in sight. It was surrounded on all sides by marble columns, and the pathways crisscrossing the perfect green lawn were also made of marble. The statues here were even bigger, perhaps twenty feet tall. Now that he saw them up close and enlarged, Leo definitely thought they were creepy. All were in positions of pain, with expressions of fear and agony on their faces so prominent that it hurt to watch.

Beside him, Calypso whispered, "Do statues normally look this pained?"

"No," Leo whispered back, although he wasn't sure why. He just didn't want to disturb the almost sacred silence that enfolded the entire scene. "I would definitely classify this as alarming."

"Well," Calypso said, clapping her hands and making Leo flinch with her sudden loudness. "Let's go explore."

They walked forward together, toward the grand palace in front of them. They stayed quiet, wary of the complete silence that followed them around like a ghost.

After what seemed like a very long walk, the two arrived at a huge marble doorway. It was open, and it gave Leo a clear view of a grand marble foyer. Leo looked back and noticed the position of the sun in the sky. It was afternoon now, and when he looked at the ground, he saw that the castle was at the top of a huge hill covered with the garden he had just walked through.

Leo turned to look at the inside of the foyer and closed his eyes. Reaching out with his Hephaestus senses, he checked the area for booby traps.

"It's not booby trapped," he whispered, because the silence in here was just as great as before. "But just in case, stay behind me."

Calypso nodded and grabbed his hand, which made Leo feel all warm and tingly inside. Together, Leo in the lead, they walked forward. Inside, it was beautiful. The marble floor was covered in a red velvet carpet, and there were huge windows that flooded the foyer with daylight. The walls were covered in tapestries depicting nature-scenes so lifelike Leo felt like he was standing in a mystical forest. It was so beautiful, Leo felt instantly suspicious. In the demigod world, beautiful things were usually traps. Well, not everything, Leo thought as he turned to Calypso, whose amber hair and almond eyes glittered in the foyer, making her look like an angel.

"Do I have something on my face?" Calypso said, a smirk on her face.

Leo turned away, cheeks burning. "No. What – what do you mean? You – your face looks fine. More than fine – "

Calypso laughed, and the sound made his heart race. "You can stop babbling like an idiot now."

Calypso shoved him forward. Leo blushed again; he hadn't even realized he'd stopped to stare at her. Together they made their way up the carpeted marble stairs, avoiding the many side passages opening up. At the end of the principal hallway, two huge oak doors loomed over them, standing there like they were thinking about how amusing and unprepared the two were.

"What do you think lies beyond those doors?" Calypso whispered, quieter than ever.

"I don't know," Leo replied, barely audible. "I guess we'll have to find out."

With those words, he reached out and pushed open the pair of giant doors with a grunt. Inside was a room even more splendid than the foyer through which they had just come through. It was huge and made entirely out of marble, and like before, huge windows allowed daylight to flood in. Golden curtains framed each window, matching the color of the carpet leading to the throne.

The walls were filled with tapestries even more beautiful than the ones Leo had just seen, and the most prominent one was just behind the throne. Leo shuddered when he looked at it. It depicted an epic war scene, one filled with dying heroes and acts of valor. Leo almost felt like he was in the scene, dying alongside the heroes and fighting for the glory of his kingdom. Leo almost felt like he recognized the scene, like he had seen it or heard about it somewhere before, though not nearly as beautiful and heart wrenching as the tapestry portrayed it.

But the most beautiful feature of the entire room was seated on the golden throne, reading a book. Leo and Calypso gasped when they saw her, and, seemingly taking notice of the two for the first time, the young woman put her book down and stood up.

The young woman had to be the most beautiful girl Leo had ever seen, aside from Calypso, of course. She was so radiant, so stunning, that it almost hurt to look at her, but at the same time Leo felt herself drawn to her. The girl herself was wearing just a simple white sundress, with golden gladiator sandals and gold accessories. She was tall; just one or two inches shy of six feet, and slim.

Her hair fell in soft waves down to her back, an orange-gold color that reminded Leo of the most beautiful sunsets he had seen aboard the _Argo II_. Her face was made of beautiful, regal features that seemed sculpted to perfection. She gave the pair a dazzling smile with her full, red lips, showing perfect white teeth, and the two stepped back, stunned by the girl's beauty. She didn't seem to be wearing any make-up or anything; she was just naturally this magnificent. She couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen, but it was hard to tell, her face was just so timeless. But her eyes were what struck Leo the most. Long, dark eyelashes framed electric blue eyes. _Electric blue_. The same exact shade as Jason's eyes, or his sister Thalia's. But on her, it seemed more dazzling and electrifying still. She was even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself, and she wasn't even trying.

The girl walked down to the pair, still smiling. Leo and Calypso stood frozen in place, paralyzed by her beauty. She walked with a regal grace, but there was something calculating in her gaze, like she was dissecting them, trying to find out their secrets. This girl's stare was scaring Leo almost as bad as Annabeth's, and that was a pretty high standard.

The girl stopped a few feet in front of them, just enough so that she could look at them without having to look down at them, since she was half a head taller.

"Greetings, young heroes," she began, her voice sweet like honey. Yet it reminded Leo of Jason yet again; it was filled with a commanding tone that seemed to let everyone know that she knew what she was doing. "Welcome to my home. I hope you have found it to your liking. It's nice to have visitors."

Calypso replied with a weird sound that might've been _yes_. Then she cleared her throat and began again. "Yes, thank you. Um, who are you again?"

The girl grimaced, but even that looked beautiful on her face. "I hate this part." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "My name is Helen, immortal daughter of Zeus and Leda."

Leo and Calypso gasped. Several pieces clicked into place: why this young woman reminded Leo of Jason, why she was so beautiful. Leo wasn't very good at myths; well, he was pretty much terrible, but even he knew the myths of Helen of Troy, the woman whose beauty had started one of the bloodiest wars in history. Leo could see why now. This girl was _hot_. Not as hot as Calypso, of course. Nobody could ever reach Calypso's level.

"Wait," Leo said, finally regaining his voice. "You mean, like, Helen of Troy?"

Helen scowled, and, in the distance, the sky rumbled. With a start, Leo realized she had been the one that had caused it. "I don't like to talk about that period in my life, but if it helps you to recognize me, then yes."

Calypso looked at the magnificent tapestry behind the throne. "That's what that tapestry is showing, isn't it? The Trojan War?"

Helen looked at Calypso with the same dissecting stare as before. "Yes, Calypso. You know, I never expected to meet you. But I guess if someone got you out of your prison, it would be Leo Valdez, – "she turned to face Leo, "– the bane of Gaea. It's nice to meet you as well. Glad to know you didn't actually explode in one final act of bravery."

She smiled at Leo, and Leo somehow felt somewhat comforted by her presence. She seemed like she was actually trying to be genuinely nice. "Thanks," Leo said, finding it a lot easier to talk to her now. "So, do you mind helping us out? I mean, if it's not too much trouble. All we need is – "

"Oh, don't worry. I know you need help. And I'm perfectly willing to give it," Helen said, and Leo felt his hopes rise, but they soon came crashing down. "But the thing is– and you'll really have to forgive me, because I know how hard it is for you – I kind of need your help, and I can't help you until you have been of some assistance to me. I have a sort of quest for you, if you will. Doesn't that sound great?"

**A/N: So this was the first chapter; I hope you enjoyed it! I'll try to update as much as I can if I'm not busy or working on other stories. Also, if anybody wants to beta for this story in the future, I'd really appreciate it, because I'm new and don't really know how to choose a good beta. Thanks!**


	2. II

**A/N: So, here's chapter 2! I'll try to update as often as possible, but I can get pretty busy caught up in other things. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Leo really shouldn't have expected anything different. <strong>Gods and other assorted mythological figures sent him on quests all the time to do their dirty work, so what made this time so different? Oh, that's right. He had just barreled out of the sky after coming home from one of the most dangerous quests in the history of the world to destroy a deranged primordial goddess and her huge, mutant children.

Leo was so startled by the unfairness of it all, the endless cycle of danger, his nose burst out into flames. Embarrassed, he patted it out, but not before fixing Helen with an incredulous look. He briefly turned to Calypso, and she just had this puzzled look on her face, as if she were thinking, _Quests? Those super dangerous things all the heroes that come to my island complain about? Why would I want to do that?_

"You're kidding," Leo told Helen.

Helen just shrugged. "I said sorry. Besides, you kind of need to complete this task for me. It's not even a real quest, and it's the only way you can leave with the information and supplies you need. Frankly, it would be easier to just get through with it."

Leo was starting to get really angry. This girl just wasn't getting it. Heroes weren't some tools that she could just use to get what she wanted. "Listen here, lady," he began, clenching his fists at his sides. "We aren't here to fulfill your every need and whim. I retired that post when I _exploded_ _Mother Earth_. Old Quester Leo has hung up his hat. And now you're saying that the only way to escape this place is to go do some _task_? Yeah, no. Calypso, come on. Let's go take our problems and giant metal dragon somewhere else."

Calypso just stood there, watching what was happening like a tennis match. It occurred to Leo that this was the first time she'd seen two demigods talk to each other in millennia. It must've been some pretty bad culture shock.

Helen gave them a look of amusement and pity. "I'm sorry, Leo Valdez. I had my automatons take away you dragon and hide it in our forges while you were in the courtyard. There isn't any way for you to leave, and even if you did, if you tried to talk to any civilization within one thousand miles, you would probably be incinerated. Also, trying to contact your friends via Iris Message or something else would be futile in this land. On the bright side, you could live with me forever. I have Netflix."

Leo felt nauseous. This girl had them trapped, and she knew it. He could see it in her eyes, a mischievous spark in the electric blue. He also realized that he really wasn't in the mood to spend an eternity with somebody he had just met. He sighed. "Fine, we'll do it. What do you need, Your Highness?" He said the last part with a mock bow, and he was satisfied to see Helen's nostrils flare up.

"I'll go, too," Calypso piped in from the back. She had a look of grim determination on her face, and Leo felt a swelling of pride for her.

Helen smiled at the two, and Leo was struck once again by her beauty. "Great. It's really not that hard, but if you do manage to do it, then the path that lay ahead will be very difficult."

Leo felt a lump in his throat. "What do you mean?"

Helen gave them a mournful look, as if she were at their funeral, but then she straightened up and gave them a smile like the ones doctors or teachers or parents gave children when they were about to deliver bad news. She clapped her hands together. "You know what?" she said in a fake sweet tone, as if she were talking to the dying. "Let's discuss the details over a late lunch. There's a lot you need to know."

With those words, she turned around, grabbed the book she had been reading, and started walking back, past Leo and Calypso, out of the throne room. "You guys coming or what?" she called out, already reaching the colossal oak doors.

Leo turned to look at Calypso for help. Calypso met his eyes, shrugged, and began following Helen out. Left with no choice, Leo ran after her, wondering just how bad things were.

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><p>Calypso and Leo followed Helen for what seemed like a really long time. The labyrinthine halls of her palace were huge, and Leo had no doubt that he would be lost if he tried to escape. Even creepier, the entire place was empty. Their steps echoed loudly in the silent, sunlit, marble halls. Leo didn't see any sign of a single other human or even an automaton during their entire journey, which he felt was mildly concerning.<p>

Eventually, they reached another pair of huge oak doors. Helen pushed them open and strode in. Throughout the entire walk, she had avoided talking or even making eye contact with Leo or Calypso. Leo guessed that spending years in a huge, empty palace couldn't be good for anybody's social skills.

Entering the dining room, Leo's breath caught in his throat. The room was beautiful. Like the rest of the palace, it was bright, lit up by windows high above. Huge marble columns rose to support the ceiling, their foundations evenly spaced on light hardwood floors. A long banquet table ran down the center of the room, and although it could've fit dozens of people, the table was set up for only three, right on the closest side. Helen took a seat at one of the three chairs set up, and then she motioned for Leo and Calypso to sit in the other two.

Leo and Calypso obliged. Unsure of what to do next, the two sat awkwardly in silence. Leo briefly contemplated busting out jokes, anything to break this dreadful silence, but then Helen grabbed the plate and goblet in front of her and closed her eyes. Soon enough, a full plate of what looked like delicious food appeared on her plate, and her goblet was filled with water.

Together, Leo and Calypso followed her example. Grabbing his plate and goblet, Leo closed his eyes and thought of delicious food and fresh, cold water. Heck, he even thought about Fonzies. He might as well make the best of the free food. When he opened his eyes, his plate was filled with a hot, fragrant meal, and his goblet was filled with iced water. On the side, a bag of Fonzies appeared. Leo gave a whoop, which sounded like an explosion in the silence, and reached out to begin eating.

"Wait," Calypso said, stopping Leo right before he could begin attacking his food. She fidgeted nervously in her chair. "Aren't we supposed to make sacrifices to the gods or something?"

Helen, who had frozen in the middle of bringing a spoon of soup up to her mouth, set the utensil down with a resounding metal _clank_. She shot Leo and Calypso a piercing glare, her eyes a harsh color, like the blue-grey of an electric storm. "No. In my house, we do not pay respect to the gods."

Leo didn't know what he'd been expecting as a response, but it certainly wasn't _that_. He cleared his throat. "Um, are you sure the gods won't go ballistic and kill us out of disrespect or something?"

Helen laughed, a short, bitter laugh. "Even if they cared, and they don't, they wouldn't be able to tell. I am beyond their power."

The table lapsed into silence then. Leo caught a glimpse of Calypso, and she had a frightened look on her face, as if she were afraid of Helen's disregard for the gods. Together, Leo and Calypso began eating awkwardly. The lack of sound enveloped the trio like an oppressive shroud, and Leo felt like he was suffocating. Finally, he couldn't hold in his curiosity any longer.

"Why?" he asked.

Helen snapped to attention, as if she had been woken from a dream. "Why what?"

"You just told us that the gods couldn't affect you," Leo replied. "Why?"

Helen exhaled and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess it's time for me to explain the task." She set down her plate and utensils and pushed them to the center of the table, where they disappeared with a _poof._

Leo didn't understand what her response had to do with the context of the conversation, but he wasn't just going to ruin his chance of finally getting some answers, so he stayed silent. He was glad to see that Calypso did, too.

Helen drummed her fingers along the oak of the long banquet table. "To start," she said, "I'll give you some background info. Okay, I'm sure you're aware that Gaea raised some long-dead spirits to aid her in her cause, correct?"

Leo and Calypso nodded.

"Well, unlike most of the gods," Helen continued, "Gaea actually remembered that I was still alive and well. Gaea was not one to leave loose ends unattended, so, naturally, she sent someone after me. She saw me as a possible threat to her cause." Helen gave out another bitter laugh. "I don't know why. Personally, I would've never left to help the gods. Most hate me, anyway. Especially the Romans. They just can't get over the Trojan War. Besides, I would've just messed everything up for everyone, like I always do."

Leo felt kind of bad for Helen. The way she felt kind of reminded him of how he felt about himself.

"Whatever the case, Gaea felt the need to have me watched," Helen said, and Leo saw her grit her teeth. "Unfortunately for me, she decided to send my worst nightmare, Paris. I thought I had escaped the little wimp, but apparently not."

A tiny electric spark escaped from Helen's hands, which were tightly clenched on the table. Beside Leo, Calypso said, "Paris of Troy?"

Helen nodded grimly. "Yes, that's the one. He may be a spineless, conceited jerk, but he's sly and cunning."

Leo was vaguely reminded of Octavian, the little creep from Camp Jupiter. "So what'd he do?" Leo asked. "Where is he?"

Helen sighed. "During the Trojan War, I had a knife that I would use to gather information. Occasionally, it was of some use. Its name was Katoptris."

Leo felt a jolt of recognition. "Hey! My friend Piper has that knife! But what does it have to do with my original question?"

Helen gave him an electric glare. No, seriously, she actually _shocked_ him, just enough to make him sit upright and give off a faint smell of Fried Leo. "Patience, Leo Valdez," she said. "But yes, the original Katoptris was given to Chiron for his store of weapons. The soldiers felt it unnecessary for a girl to have a weapon, which is completely ridiculous and sexist. Later, I had an exact copy made by Hephaestus at the same time he made my automaton servants. I named it Katoptris II, and it's my favorite weapon. I think that the knife was what worried Gaea the most. She thought that the visions of my knife could've aided the gods, even though they probably couldn't have. So at the beginning of the Second Giant War, she sent Paris to steal my knife and hide out in some nearby hills. I want you to retrieve the knife."

For some weird reason, Leo felt disappointed. "That's it? I thought you were going to send us on some epic death quest or something."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Next time, I'll remember to prepare an 'epic death quest' for any demigods that come to visit."

Calypso just looked confused. "Wait, why don't you just go get the knife yourself?"

Helen looked down. "I never leave this place, but I do so out of my own volition. There's a reason that I've imprisoned myself. Do you remember the statues you saw outside?"

Leo and Calypso nodded.

Helen looked at the pair with sad, broken eyes. "I had them erected to remind myself that every time I leave this place, I cause pain and suffering. I am no help to anyone. My beauty is a curse to everyone, including myself. It is best to keep myself locked away where no one can find me. Actually, you two are the first demigods I've ever had visit. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to find me in the location I chose."

Leo felt his heart break a little for Helen. She seemed so sad, like a machine that didn't function because it had clogged itself up. Before Leo could try to make Helen feel better, Calypso spoke up. "Wait, where are we?"

Helen smirked a little bit, as if she found their situation highly entertaining. "China," she said.

Leo spit out the water he had been drinking. He was no geography expert, but he was pretty sure China wasn't a part of Western Civilization. "How?" he blurted out.

At the same time that Calypso asked, "What's that?"

"China is a country in the Far East," Helen said, for Calypso's benefit. "Right now, we are near the center, near Tibet. As for how you managed to get here, it seems that Ogygia grew attached to you, Calypso. It wasn't going to let you go that easily."

Calypso still looked confused, although probably for a different reason than Leo. "But – but," he spluttered, "China? That's not even in the West. How are you here?"

Helen shrugged. "I made a deal with the old Chinese gods. They're fading, but you should just see how touchy they are. I can stay, but I'm not allowed to make contact with any civilization or else. I don't know what they'd do to me, though. Probably make me explode into a thousand fortune cookies."

"And we would too?" Calypso asked.

Helen nodded. "Right. You're under my protection right now, but if you leave, you're at the mercy of the ancient Chinese gods. To answer your original question, that's why the gods can't affect me and why I can't even Iris Message. I am literally beyond their reach."

Leo felt like his head was going to explode. He had to make it back to his old life, but he was farther than he had ever been from home. And he was confused. "Chinese gods?" he asked.

Helen nodded. "Oh yes, they exist."

Leo wasn't sure why he was surprised. He was living proof that there were greater beings out there. Why couldn't the Chinese gods exist, too? For all Leo knew, there were probably weird Taco Tuesday gods floating around in existence. Leo really didn't want to have to memorize or try to figure out a whole other pantheon, so he just accepted the fact and moved on. He had more important matters to focus on. "Okay then. Hey, just wondering, do you know what year it is?" he asked. "Or how I could fix my metal dragon and see my friends again? After we go on the task thingy, of course," he added quickly.

Helen shook her head. "I can not answer those questions until you've retrieved my knife. Once you do, I will offer you advice, tools, shelter, and practically everything you need for however long you need it."

Leo understood, and he was grateful, but he was kind of disappointed. Couldn't anyone just give him some straight answers for once? Why did he have to go on ridiculous tasks for things like finding out the date?

Beside him, Calypso furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait. If Gaea has been defeated, why is Paris still hanging around? Shouldn't he be back to the land of the dead?"

"Excellent question," Helen said. "As far as I can tell, several ghosts spread across the entire world have managed to stay in the realm of the living out of sheer willpower. Paris, unfortunately, is one such wraith. I know because I send out some automatons every month to check up on him and see if the little pest has finally left. He hasn't."

"Okay," Calypso said slowly. "So you want us to kill him?"

Helen shook her head. "No. I want you to dispel him. He's already dead. But yes, you will have to defeat him, which is a lot harder than it sounds. As I said before, he's a cunning little jerk. Even you, Calypso, will need to be careful. You can still be injured."

"Wait, I'm immortal?"

Helen shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I had my automatons run some scans before you got here. I know everything about the state of your bodies and health. But you'll have to come back to find out."

Calypso made an irritated noise in the back of her throat. Obviously, she wasn't used to deities withholding information. Leo just sighed. "Well, when do we go?"

Helen suddenly stood up, pushing her chair back with a scraping sound. "I suggest you get going right now; I want this done today."

"Wait, what? You mean, like, now?" Leo said incredulously.

"No," Helen said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "When I said _right now_, I obviously meant next Tuesday."

"Geez, no need to be so touchy," Leo grumbled, but he and Calypso were already clearing their tables and getting up.

Helen started walking out of the dining room. "Follow me," she called out. "I need to give you directions. The forest here is easy to get lost in."

Leo and Calypso started walking in Helen's direction. Right before they walked out of the room, Leo heard Calypso whisper to herself, "Oh my Gods, this is actually happening."

Leo reached out his hand, and Calypso gladly took it, squeezing it once. Leo felt warmth spread from her touch, and he wondered what lay ahead in this strange new land.

* * *

><p>Leo didn't really start to panic until he heard the palace doors close shut behind him and lock with a <em>click<em> that echoed in the late afternoon. But all of a sudden, he felt his heart start to beat faster. He and Calypso were in freaking _China_, and now they were being sent out to defeat some weird stalker spirit with nothing but a compass, a map, and the supplies they had been smart enough to bring. They didn't even have any proper weapons, which Leo was really starting to regret. He would have asked Helen for some, but he had forgotten.

"Well," Calypso said from next to him. "I guess we're going on an adventure."

"Yep," Leo said weakly, and he reached out to take her hand again. Together, hand in hand, they began to walk out of the garden.

The walk out of the garden felt just as long as the first one. Leo and Calypso were heading east, the same direction their dragon had crashed in. After that, they would have to walk for two more miles in the forest, and, according to Helen, they would find Paris. _Trust me,_ she had told them. _He's very hard to miss._

As they walked, Leo couldn't help but notice how beautiful the gardens were. The flowers seemed to glow in the sinking sun, as radiant as their owner. The vibrant hues hurt Leo's eyes, but he couldn't look away. He caught a glimpse of Calypso, and she seemed just as enraptured by the garden as Leo felt. Against the background of the meadows, Calypso seemed stunning. Behind her, the automatons continued to toil in the fields, rippling the fields of flowers like a laboring wind. He had been right about them; they were his father's work. Leo knew he would have to examine them more closely later, because they were fascinating. Also, now that Leo was outside, he noticed how warm it was. Whatever year it was, it was probably summer.

When the couple reached the edge of the garden, the sun was just above the horizon, partially hidden by the looming forest ahead. Leo stopped and turned back to look at the palace on the hill, a speck from this distance. Against the sky, for just one tiny second, Leo could have sworn he saw a vaguely dragon-like figure. Leo suddenly felt very scared. What if there were some weird, Ancient Chinese creepy-crawlies hidden in the forest? He quickly dismissed the thought. Helen had told them they were under her protection, right?

Leo turned back to the forest, wondering what Frank would do if he were here with Leo. Frank would probably freak out about Leo defiling the land of his ancestors. The image made Leo smile, but it quickly turned into pain as he remembered that he was farther from his friends than ever. So Leo did what he always did in painful situations, bust out the jokes.

As they crossed the threshold into the dark forest, filled with tall, thin trees, Leo said, "If I had known that this whole demigod business involved so much walking, I would've never signed up."

Beside him, Calypso smirked. She walked over the mossy ground with an elegant grace that seemed unbelievable for somebody who had spent her life isolated in a tropical island. "Didn't get much of a choice there, Valdez," she said.

"Don't remind me," he replied, a smile tugging on the corners of his own lips.

"It's not that much walking, anyway," Calypso said, and then frowned. "Wait, is it? Relative distance is hard for me."

Leo laughed. "You probably shouldn't be asking me for help on that. I'm usually the guy who gets the machines to do the work for him."

Calypso snorted. "You would. Although, the world is a lot bigger than I thought it was. There's just so much _space_."

"You know, this isn't even a fraction of the whole world's size."

"Wait, really? It's bigger?" Calypso said, awestruck.

"Yeah. There's so much for you to see out there, Calypso. You won't believe it. You'll love it."

"I can't wait."

"I can't, either," Leo said. "You know, some people say the world is a small place."

"You're kidding me, there's no way anybody can think this place is small."

Leo sighed. "I know. I guess those people just haven't ever been far from home. Maybe then they'd see just how tremendously big this planet is."

The two walked in silence for a while after that, as the weight of Leo's words settled over them. Leo could feel his throat closing up. How was he ever going to find his way back home? Helen had said the path that lay ahead was much harder than they imagined, and even if Leo could make it through that with Calypso, what would he find back home? The tombs of his friends, dusty and worn from age? The entire human race could have been annihilated in his absence, and Leo wouldn't know. All of a sudden, Leo dreaded the information he was seeking, and he just wanted to stay frozen in this walk, hand in hand with Calypso, forever. But life didn't work that way.

When they passed a tree that looked like lightning had torn it in half, Leo knew they had walked half a mile in the right direction. Helen had told them to be on the lookout for special landmarks that would indicate the distance they had walked, and this was one. Finally, Calypso broke the silence. She squeezed Leo's hand and whispered, "Tell me a story."

Leo turned to look at her. "What?"

Calypso rolled her eyes. "I said, tell me a story. I hope you don't expect me to walk two miles without any entertainment, Leo Valdez, because that's no way to treat a lady."

"I know, but… a story?"

"Yes," Calypso replied, sounding exasperated. "Here, I'll give an example: Millennia ago, in a mysterious island called Ogygia, a girl made a dreadful mistake. She decided to try and plant bright orange tulips with muted red ones, and they clashed horribly. From then on, she decided to never plant bright orange tulips near muted red ones again. The end. See? My stories are horrible. Tell me one of yours."

Leo laughed. "That was a terrible story. I think you can do better."

"That wasn't the point!" Calypso cried out. "My point is that you are probably a way better storyteller than I am, and if I do the entertaining, you'll probably fall asleep in like five minutes. So humor me."

Leo made a big point of reaching up with his free hand, which had been fiddling with his tool belt nervously up until that point, and scratched his chin. "Where to begin? The Great Tales of the Amazing Leo Valdez are too numerous to be told all at once."

Calypso rolled her eyes, but Leo took that as his cue to continue. He punched his hand into the air, index finger pointing upward. "Aha! How about that time crazed teenage girls attacked me? I know what you're thinking, _Leo, you're so good-looking! Don't you have to deal with that all the time?_ – "

"I wasn't thinking that," Calypso interrupted.

"Seriously, you ask me to tell a story, and then you interrupt?" Leo said. "Please save all questions and comments for the end. Thank you. Okay, now, where were we? Oh yes, the group of crazed teenage girls. This particular group was called the Maenads, and it all started when I lost my trusty friend Buford the table…"

Leo began to tell Calypso the story, and he felt glad that telling it made Calypso smile and laugh. She looked so beautiful, he wanted to tell her every humiliating detail about his life just to make her laugh, even though he'd probably die from embarrassment afterward. But he'd die knowing he made her laugh. Her reactions even made the pain go away as Leo talked about Piper and Jason, who had been there with him.

Just as Leo wrapped up his story, they made it to the weird star-shaped stone Helen had told them marked the base of Paris' stakeout position. All of a sudden, Leo and Calypso stopped. The laughter was drained from the atmosphere almost immediately, replaced by a quiet nervousness.

"So," Calypso began nervously, "I guess we're here. Time to fight."

Leo chuckled anxiously. "You don't know that. Paris could be some peace-loving dude who just accidentally grabbed Helen's knife. He could be totally cooperative, and this could all just be one big understanding."

Calypso gave him an incredulous look. Man, she'd caught on to the whole demigod business really quickly. "Do you really believe that?"

Leo slumped his shoulders. "No."

"Okay, now that we agree that this is dangerous and there's a chance that we die at the hands of a crazy stalker ghost, let's go."

Together, they began walking up the hill. It was only a fraction of the size of the hill where Helen had made her home, but it was still big enough to cause Leo to lose any excess calories he might've gained from the Fonzies earlier. As they rose higher and higher, the trees and bamboo cleared, revealing a sky tinted a dark red-orange. Soon it would be completely dark, and Leo really didn't want to have to head back through the woods at nightfall. Helen had said it was safe, but Leo wasn't ready to take those chances.

Eventually, they reached a ledge that obscured Leo's view of the summit. Leo was breathing deeply, trying to relieve his lungs of the stress of the long walk and climb he had just taken. Beside him, Calypso was doing the same, and the sound of her steadying breaths calmed him. They were doing this together, and Calypso was doing great. He gave her hand a squeeze and let go. Instantly, he felt her hand's absence. He wanted to reach out and continue to hold her forever, but that would be counterproductive.

"We're going to have to climb this," Leo told Calypso.

Calypso scoffed. "Yeah, I got that."

Leo rolled his eyes and turned to face the rock wall. It had several smaller ledges, and it couldn't have been more than twenty-five feet. Leo positioning himself against the wall, and he began to climb up, making sure Calypso did the same. As he climbed, he tried to remember what he had learned in Camp Half-Blood about Paris.

From what he could remember, Paris was a Trojan dude that had helped start the civil war by choosing Aphrodite in a competition for some weird golden apple. In exchange, he was given the most beautiful woman, Helen, to be his wife. The problem was that she was married, so he stole her, took her to Troy, and kept her there for the duration of the Trojan War, which had started in the first place because Helen's suitors had made some pact, and, because of that, they all had to join forces to recuperate her. Leo also remembered, with a bit of fear, that he had killed Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior. Leo couldn't remember if it had been a fluke or not, but he did know that he really wasn't looking forward to facing this battle.

Leo was no satyr, and after a stressful ten minutes, he reached the top of the ledge and collapsed to the ground to catch his breath. Calypso had arrived before him, and she was already breathing more steadily, but she, too, was on the ground. Neither had had a chance to survey the summit, which the pair had finally reached.

Needless to say, both Leo and Calypso jumped a little when they heard a voice behind them say, "Helen! Baby! I knew you'd finally come around! You had me waiting for ages!"

Leo forgot his exhaustion, jumped up, and whipped around to face the speaker. Beside him, Calypso did the same, holding her backpack out in front of her in defense.

They had reached the summit, all right, but Leo didn't really have any time to examine the area's beauty. There was a more pressing matter seated on a stone in front of them. The man, who had been looking at himself in a mirror, put down the gold-bordered glass and stood up, furrowing his eyebrows. "Wait a minute. You're not Helen."

Leo gulped. This spirit, who had to be Paris, freaked him out. Aside from a faint blue glow that Leo had to squint to detect, the guy looked like a living human of about twenty-five years of age. He was tall and lean, and, to Leo's surprise, he was actually handsome. The way Helen had put it, he had expected to be fighting some weird, disheveled, crazed man. But this man wasn't like that at all. He was tan, and he had short dark brown hair and regal features with an almost feminine beauty. Despite the fact that he had been living it out the Chinese wilderness for gods-knew-how-long, he sported a perfectly clean tuxedo, as if he had never had to lift a finger in his life. Leo disliked him instantly. His eyes were the only things that slightly fulfilled Leo's expectation. They were a soothing dark blue, but they had the slightly insane twinkle of a madman's eye.

"Nope," Calypso squeaked, voice trembling. "We were just here to, you know, get her knife and leave you to do whatever it is you do here."

Paris of Troy laughed, but there was something off about the sound. As he continued to laugh, he brandished a bow and a sheath full of arrows out of thin air. "Oh," he said. "Well, I guess in that case, I'll just have to kill you."

**A/N: Done! Sorry it took so long, but I just have a lot of work. I actually have this entire story planned out, so if I don't update, it's not because I have writer's block. Anyway, I hope you liked it! I tried to imitate Riordan's writing style as much as possible, and I hope it came out well. Also, the story of the Maenads that Leo refers to here actually happened in **_**The Demigod Diaries**_**, and, if you haven't, you should totally read it. It's a great story told from Leo's point of view in Camp Half-Blood! Well, until next time!**


	3. III

**A/N: Hey everybody! So here's chapter 3. I finally wrote my first fight scene, and it was actually a lot harder than I expected. Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, sorry for the super long wait! I just got caught up with school and exams and stuff, but now I should be able to have a new chapter every one to two weeks. So thanks for bearing with me!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan.**

* * *

><p><strong>At this point, Leo was feeling a bit disappointed by Paris.<strong> The guy was about to kill him and Calypso, and he hadn't even gone into a backstory or an evil plan or an ulterior motive or anything, really. Unfortunately for Leo, that meant that he had to do more work to stay alive. But with Calypso at his side, he felt more confident staring at the face of death than ever.

Gaining even more confidence with every passing second, Leo looked around to survey the situation. In all directions, he could see walls of earth enclosing him and Calypso with Paris. He didn't know where they had come from or when they had been formed, but they certainly hadn't been there a few moments ago. Paris, meanwhile, was reaching back into his quiver. Okay, scratch that. Maybe Leo wasn't feeling _that_ confident.

"Wait!" Calypso shouted.

"What?" Paris asked, annoyed, as he notched two arrows on his bow, one pointing at Leo and the other at Calypso. With his suit, the guy looked like someone modeling weaponry in a catalog for insane stalkers.

Before Leo could react, Calypso began talking. "I was just kidding, you know. Helen totally has a message for you. I mean, she was just ecstatic that we would be able to deliver it for her."

Paris paused momentarily and slowly released the tension from his bow. Leo thought Paris had bought it, and, for a moment, he was overjoyed to be given time to make real plan. But then Paris furrowed his eyebrows, and Leo could tell he wasn't convinced. Calypso turned to face Leo with a pleading look, and he instantly understood that he had to play along. "Oh, yeah," Leo said, nodding fervently, fingers already reaching into his tool belt. "Totally. You should have seen her back at the palace. She was so excited."

Paris still looked skeptical, but he had lowered his bow slightly, which Leo took as a good sign. "What type of message?" he asked.

"A love note!" Calypso exclaimed. "Yeah, she wanted to know why you were hiding from her, and why you didn't come over, since she can't go to you. I mean, there has to be a reason you didn't just march into the palace, right?"

Leo nodded to add emphasis, and meanwhile, his fingers were flying. He didn't really have a plan, but his fingers seemed to have a mind of their own.

Paris's eyes brightened. "Really? She did?" he said hopefully, and then he quickly readjusted his expression and smiled cockily instead. "I mean, of course she did. I'm Paris of Troy. Who wouldn't fall madly in love with me?"

Calypso nodded emphatically. "I don't know. But seriously, why didn't you just go over to her if you cared so much?" she asked, a bit of curiosity showing through her acting. Leo was worried; she was starting to blow her already flimsy cover.

Luckily, Paris's smile only grew wider, but now it was more patronizing. "Well, young child," he said, "I don't expect you to know anything about love, but I just didn't want to seem too desperate. Plus, Gaea told me too."

Calypso's expression morphed into one of indignation, probably at being called a small child who didn't know anything about love, but before she could fire some sharp retorts and make him angry, Leo butted in. "Gaea?"

"Yeah, she was the one who brought me back. She told me to hang out here, because I might mess something up if I actually did anything," he scoffed, "but whatever. I know better than to question her; although, to be honest, I haven't heard anything from her since she told me to come here."

"That must really make you mad," Calypso said, coating her words with fake sympathy.

Paris just shrugged. "Nah. I understand that she has bigger battles to fight, and I certainly don't want to be involved in them," he said. While Paris talked, Leo noticed Calypso slowly walking closer to him, so Leo did the same.

"You don't?" Calypso asked, stopping five feet in front of him. It was a risky move, considering they were completely unarmed and now in point-blank shooting range, but Leo could see in her eyes that she had a plan. Behind her back, visible just to Leo from the corner of his eye, she opened her palm and rolled it in a gesture that seemed to say _stay here and keep him talking_, but Leo wasn't sure. For all he knew, it might have been saying _we're so dead LOL_.

"I'm not really into fighting other people's battles," Paris said. Beside Leo, Calypso began creeping around Paris. "Or even my battles, for that matter. Actually, I'm just not into fighting."

"Really?" Leo said, doing his best to sound fascinated. Beneath him, his fingers paused, and he could tell that he had done all he could without a plan. He peeked down to see a sphere awaiting programming and hoped that Calypso had something in mind.

Paris just shrugged again. "I don't know. Fighting's just not my thing. Know what I mean? I'm more of a stay-back-and-help-from-behind kind of guy."

Leo thought that this guy was starting to sound a lot like him, which worried him, because Leo had no intention of ending up stalking hot immortal monarchs after death. But he also felt something like empathy. He nodded. "I totally know that feeling. I don't even have, like, a proper weapon."

"I know. Back in my day, everybody thought the bow was a 'cowardly' weapon. People thought I was such a loser. I swear, I could hear them snickering every time I passed by. But in the end, we're the ones that do the serious damage. Am I right, bro?" Paris reached out and patted Leo across his back. Leo yelped in surprise. He didn't like this at all. He was getting way too chummy with Mr. Insane-Stalker-Dude for anybody's own good.

Leo nodded his head rapidly. Behind Paris, Calypso was edging to the rock Paris had been sitting on, careful not to make a sound. "Yeah."

"I mean, seriously," Paris continued, lost in thought. "_Everybody_ carried weapons back then. I don't even know; maybe they all felt the apocalypse would just happen at any minute. Even Helen carried a weapon, her precious Katoptris." He reached into his coat and drew a dagger that looked identical to Piper's. Leo barely suppressed a smile. He had reached the jackpot. "And people were so quick to fight, too. Like, I just took one woman from her home after being promised said woman by a goddess, and a ten-year war began…"

Leo nodded, but he had stopped paying attention. Calypso had finally reached the rock Paris had originally been seated on, and she bent down and picked up the mirror Paris had been using. She turned around to face Leo and put a fist to her ear, then slowly and dramatically pulled it back, opening her palm the further her fist went from her ear, all the while mouthing a single word: _Loud_.

Leo instantly understood. Calypso wanted loud? Oh, he could _definitely_ do loud.

In front of him, Paris continued to talk. "… And that's the story of my birth. I know; I'm a fascinating guy. I should really write a book. Nah, too much work. Hey, what was that message from Helen you came here with?"

Instantly, Leo set to work. He fiddled with the wires in the sphere in his hands. Hopefully, he would soon have a device capable of emitting a sonic boom so loud it could be heard from America. For now, he needed to stall for time. "Well, you see, Paris, Helen wanted you to hear her message exactly. So she sent a digital message for you. Give me a sec, though, I just need to set it up."

Paris smoothed the front of his pressed suit and patted down his already-perfect dark brown hair. Leo shook his head. "No… bro," he said, although calling Paris 'bro' left a bad taste in his mouth. "It's one way, pre-recorded. She won't be able to see you, but you should be able to see a hologram of her. If I can just get this dang thing to work…"

Paris frowned. "That seems awfully complicated for Helen."

Leo shook his head in mock scorn. "These kids and their new-fangled technologies. Just can't get enough of the new age, when a scroll and ink would've worked twice as well."

Paris nodded as if what Leo had just said made perfect sense to him. Behind him, Calypso tapped her foot impatiently.

Leo just had to move that wire and attach it and then… "Aha!" Leo exclaimed, brandishing his sphere, which now had an almost completely smooth gold surface, apart from a small red button. "Your message."

Paris rolled his hand in an impatient gesture. "Just get on with it. Gods, you get way too sidetracked."

Leo felt a strong urge to smack the guy upside the head with his sphere. "Yes, well." Leo smiled tightly, his right eye twitching. "Here goes nothing." Without a second's hesitation, he jammed his finger on the sphere's red button.

The result was instantaneous. A resounding _BOOM! _shook the hill, and probably all the hills within a ten-mile radius. It was so loud, Leo felt as if a thousand lightning bolts had just blasted near his face, releasing thunder Zeus himself would've been proud of.

Leo dropped his sphere and fell to the floor, clutching his ears in pain. The sound was loud, but he had made sure it wasn't loud enough to make him lose his hearing. From the ground, he could see Calypso cringing as she shattered the mirror in her hands against the rock beneath her, soundlessly in the cataclysmic blast. He couldn't help but think of that old urban legend, the one that said that breaking a mirror would cause seven years of bad luck. However, Calypso seemed okay as she picked up a large glass shard and stalked over to Paris. But that was probably because the blast hadn't been directed at her.

Only a few feet in front of him, Leo could see Paris fall to the ground, writhing in agony and screaming uselessly. His hands covered his ears, but it was useless as the full force of Leo's sonic blast barreled directly at him. He probably would've been bleeding from ruptured eardrums, but instead, sand poured out of Paris's ears and hands, mixing with the dirt below.

After a few seemingly infinite seconds, the noise shut off, leaving a silence that seemed almost as loud. With an inhuman roar of rage, Paris broke the silence. He rose up from the ground, and he was covered in so much of his sand-blood that to Leo he looked like that old Spiderman villain Sandman. Still bleeding, Paris reached behind him for his bow and stepped forward. But quicker than Leo could process, Calypso, who had managed to creep up to right behind Paris, jutted a foot out and tripped the guy.

All of this had happened in about five seconds, and if Leo hadn't been as severely ADHD as he was, he never would've been able to catch up with what was happening.

Calypso stepped over Paris and crouched down, ready to kill him. She positioned the shard she had been holding over his throat and started to bring it down. But halfway, she stopped. The shard hovered only a foot above Paris's heart. Calypso began to tremble. Her eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she was doing.

The moment of hesitation was all that Paris needed. Quietly, he reached out for Katoptris, which had landed just a few feet away. His fingers closed around the dagger, and he started to bring the weapon up to Calypso's chest.

Before Paris could go through with his plan, Leo shouted and pointed at Paris's weapon-holding hand. With all the concentration he could muster, Leo shot a tiny, white-hot fireball. It made contact with Paris's hand, and Paris dropped the dagger with a wince. Leo lunged for the dagger, and with it, he stabbed Paris in the chest, causing him to disintegrate instantly.

Feeling exhausted, Leo stepped back, putting the dagger in his tool belt. The sky above was a dark purple as the last of the daylight drained out. Leo wondered if his friends were waking up right now, all the way in another hemisphere, but he pushed that thought out of his head. He couldn't start to get depressed now. He looked around again, and saw that the earthen walls that had enclosed them had disintegrated with Paris. Now he had a good view of the terrain, and it was beautiful. In the distance, on a huge hill, he could see Helen's estate lighting up in the night. He wondered how many nights Paris had spent watching it, waiting for some sort of news, and then he mentally slapped himself. He could have asked the guy what year it was!

Beside him, Leo heard a strangled sob. He turned around and saw Calypso, who had a tear streaming down her face. ''I'm s-so sorry, Leo," she choked out. "I c-couldn't do it. He didn't d-deserve to be killed."

Leo felt his heart break a little. He sat down with her, and she reached her arms out and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. She smelled like cinnamon. "It's okay, Calypso," he said, trying his best to sound gentle. "We all get the first-quest jitters."

"He was a human, Leo. I didn't want to be a murderer."

"No, he wasn't. He was a spirit, Calypso. Humans don't bleed sand, and they definitely don't disintegrate when they die. That guy was just a ghost who managed to stick around because of his creepy obsession. It's like if I stuck around after death to stalk you."

Calypso lifted her head and cracked a smile. "Didn't you kind of do just that?"

Leo flashed her a crazy grin. "Yeah, but you know you like it."

Calypso laughed, and then she got serious again. "Leo… What if I'm not meant to be a hero? I don't think I'm cut out for it."

"No, Calypso," Leo said. "Everybody makes mistakes and falls down, but it isn't about that. It's about getting up again, to do what's right. If you can do that, you're already a pretty big hero in my book."

Calypso smiled again, so brightly that she seemed to light up the dusk, and together, hand in hand, they got up and began walking to back to the palace.

* * *

><p>When they entered the throne room, the first thing Leo and Calypso saw was Helen reading. The curtains were drawn, and only torches and candles lit up the throne room. Leo wasn't sure if she was aiming for a creepy mood or an enigmatic mood or if she just liked gloomy lighting. He felt the impulse to ask her if the book she was reading was the same book as before, but he ignored it. She was lying across the throne, surrounded by pillows and covered in a blanket. After a moment, she looked up. "So," she said. "Did you guys get the knife?"<p>

"Yep," Leo said, bringing Katoptris II out of his tool belt. "One knife, just like you asked."

Instantly, Helen set down her book, pushed off her blanket, and ran over to the couple. Leo noticed she was wearing pajamas, a change from earlier. She snatched the dagger from Leo and did a little twirl.

"Yay!" she exclaimed, and then she enfolded Leo and Calypso in a hug. Leo noticed she smelled kind of like ozone and vanilla. She sent a tiny shock through them, and then she stepped back, smiling.

"Sorry about that," Helen said. "I kind of spark when I'm excited. It's just, I've been missing my knife for so long, and it's my most valued possession – "

"Wait a second," Leo interrupted. "How long have you been missing the knife?"

Helen's smile dimmed, and her face took an exhausted expression. "Look, Leo, Calypso. I know we made a deal, and I'll keep my end, but you have to understand, the situation isn't really great. It's too late today to explain, but tomorrow, at breakfast, I'll explain everything. You have my word. Right now, the automaton will take you to your rooms."

Helen whistled, and one of her invisible servants came whirring into her room, stopping right in front of Leo and Calypso. The air shimmered, and the chameleon device cloaking the servant switched off, revealing a golden, humanoid automaton that was just a bit shorter than Helen and taller than Leo and Calypso.

Leo was mad. "That's not how it works, lady," he said. "We kept our end of the deal when you asked us to, and now you have to keep yours."

But Helen had already gone.

"Be patient," Calypso scolded. "She's giving us a place to stay, and we don't want to ruin that with you being any more annoying than usual."

Leo smiled. "Can't make any promises about that, Calypso." He turned to face the golden robot. "Lead the way, C-3PO."

Calypso gave him a confused look, and the golden robot just looked offended, if it was possible for the thing to look offended. "My name is CAS, short for Chameleon Automaton Servant," it said, in a completely emotionless voice.

"Well, then, _CAS_. Lead the way."

CAS began walking out the door, and Leo and Calypso followed. Leo couldn't help but marvel at the size of Helen's estate. In the night, it seemed like some sort of ghost town, or maybe the set of a horror movie set in Victorian England. The only source of light was torches, and the flickering shadows they produced only enhanced the illusion. The silence that covered the entire place was so thick that Leo could have cut it with a knife, but neither he nor Calypso made an attempt to speak.

Even though he was a bit ticked off at Helen for making him wait, he still couldn't quite believe his luck. Leo had found shelter, food, info, and a repair stop all for a knife. That wasn't a bad deal by anyone's standards.

Soon enough, the trio reached a set of marble stairs. On the top landing, CAS stopped in front of two mahogany doors. The robot stepped aside, backed up against a wall, and stopped.

"Your suites," CAS said, still speaking in the same monotonous tone. "My lady has given me orders to make sure you don't 'get down to any funny business.'"

Leo wasn't sure who blushed harder at that.

"My lady also recommends that you go directly to sleep," CAS continued. "All electronics in the room have been turned off, and access to the balcony or roof, both monitored areas, has been sealed off for tonight. If you need to use the restroom, there is one in your room. Breakfast will be served tomorrow morning."

Leo and Calypso nodded. "Well, good night," Leo told Calypso, awkwardly, not wanting to do anything more with CAS watching.

Leo turned to enter his room, but before he could, Calypso grabbed him and kissed him. Leo felt fireworks go off in his head, and when the kiss broke off, he had a big, goofy smile on his face.

Calypso just looked at him with those milk chocolate eyes that made him feel as if he was melting, and, quietly, she said, "Thank you," and ran into her room.

Leo pumped his fist in the air and walked across the landing to put an elbow on CAS's shoulder. "What can I say, man? All the ladies love Leo. Am I right?" He raised his other fist to receive a fist bump.

"No comment," CAS said, and Leo could've sworn the robot said it in a mocking tone. Okay, one thing Leo hadn't signed up for: robot bullies. Grumbling, Leo went to his room.

When Leo entered his room, he gasped. It was huge and beautiful. Leo had expected it to have a weird Greco-Victorian sort of theme, like the rest of the palace, but it definitely wasn't. He was in what looked like the living room of a huge apartment. The room was decorated with fancy-looking furniture, and the floors were polished hardwood. On one wall, there was a huge flat-screen TV. Another wall had huge floor-to-ceiling windows and a door leading to a balcony. When he tried to open it, it didn't work.

Leo found a light switch, and turned it on, grateful for some electric light. The TV, however, didn't work. Leo guessed CAS hadn't been lying. Leo could've easily rewired the thing to turn it off, but all of a sudden, he felt tremendously exhausted. His eyelids felt like lead weights, and all the stress of the past twenty-four hours finally caught up with him. As he stumbled around the suite for the bedroom, he found a kitchen, a bathroom, and what looked like a study, all as luxurious and full of commodities as the living room. Leo saw several other electronic devices, like laptops and computers. He might've tried to get those to work, but he just felt so dang _tired_.

Finally, at the end of a hallway, he found a bedroom, furnished as lavishly as the rest of the place. He also found some pajamas laid out for him, which he hurriedly put on, and then he slipped into the huge bed. It had tons of pillows and blankets, and it smelled fresh and clean. _This is the life_, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep. That night, he had no dreams.

* * *

><p>Leo awoke to a sound that he felt like he hadn't heard in a lifetime: an alarm clock. He'd forgotten how much he hated them, but now the old resentment came back at full force.<p>

Mumbling "Five more minutes," Leo reached out to smack the clock back to silence. Instead, his hand smacked a pillow. He adjusted his hand's position several times, but still, nothing. Leo groaned and sat up to go find that gosh dang clock and throw it across the room. He opened his eyes, and that was when he realized all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

Instantly, Leo shot out of bed. He almost felt like a little kid on his birthday again, except instead of getting presents, he could finally start being productive and getting information. As soon as Leo stood up, the alarm stopped. If Leo had to guess, he would say the alarm monitored his vitals or something like that to see if he was fully awake. He really hoped the thing was only a one-time deal.

Leo hurriedly put on his clothes from the fully stocked closet in his room, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and hurried out of the suite. As he passed the study, Leo contemplated getting one of the laptops to work, to find out all the information he needed, but he shook his head and walked away. Looking at the laptop would just make him feel worse, if Helen's concern was any indication. Leo wanted to feel happy for as long as possible.

Right before he reached the door, he looked out the living room windows. The day was just starting to break, and the rosy light made the fields of flowers look like something out of a painting.

Leo stepped out onto the landing and shut the door behind him, practically bouncing from anticipation of all that he would learn today. Truth be told, he wasn't expecting anything good. He had been too lucky so far not to learn something terrible today. Sure, he had ended up in China, which, admittedly, wasn't the best circumstance, but it still felt like all his good fortune so far was just some cushion to soften the inevitable blow the Fates were about to deliver. But he also couldn't wait to finally know what was happening, to be able to form a plan.

On the landing, he saw Calypso stepping out of her own door. She was wearing just a shirt and some jeans, and her hair was damp, probably from a shower. To Leo, she looked adorable. She gave him a smile.

"Good morning, demigods," CAS said, in his usual monotone, and Leo noticed he hadn't moved one inch since last night. Being ADHD, Leo couldn't help but feel amazed that anything could stay still so long. "My lady has instructed me to take you to breakfast." With a whir, he swiveled his head to look at Leo. "You look like you could use it."

Leo felt insulted by this jerk of an automaton. "I can shut you down," he growled, trying to seem intimidating. Seriously, his dad had made this robot. The thing should be bowing down to him and throwing roses in his wake.

"I'm so scared," CAS said, and even though he hadn't switched tone, Leo could _feel _the sarcasm behind the words. With that, the robot turned around and began walking, and Calypso and Leo followed, Leo fuming.

On the way to the dining room, Calypso walked next to Leo. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning, Sunshine," Leo replied, smiling.

"Sleep well last night?"

"Yeah," Leo said. "Didn't have any dreams, which is so weird, but I actually slept better than I have in a long time. Well, up until that stupid alarm clock woke me up."

Calypso nodded in assent. "Same. By the way, is that a regular thing? The weird alarms? Because they're really annoying." She smiled. "Almost as much as you."

"Hey!" Leo said, laughing. "I'm delightful. Alarm clocks, however, are not, but you should probably get used to them. Everybody uses alarm clocks when they need to wake up at a specific time. The thing is, you can usually put it on snooze to get five extra minutes. Also, you can usually set it at the time you want. That doesn't make it any less of a pain, though."

"Ugh," Calypso said. "That sounds exhausting."

"The real world usually is."

"I was kind of looking forward to the dreams, though."

Leo gave her a sharp look. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. As far as I can remember, I've never had a dream."

Leo shook his head. "You can't even begin to understand how lucky you are. Most times, dreams are like the equivalent of getting hit by an emotional monster truck, and why would you ever want that?"

Calypso just sighed. "Whatever." She stopped talking for a few minutes, and then she looked down to Leo's hands, which were currently working on his latest device. "What are you building?"

Leo grinned. "Revenge."

"I'm going to pretend to ignore the completely creepy way you said that."

Leo laughed. "Don't worry. You'll love it, Sunshine."

"I'm sure," she said drily.

Leo fiddled a bit more with the device, which was actually pretty much just paper clips, water, rubber bands, straws, and paper, and then he winked at Calypso. "Watch and learn."

He threw the device he'd been working on in the air, and it instantly flew ahead to CAS. The device proceeded to shoot spitballs in the robot's face for about a minute, and then it dropped to the floor. Leo broke out laughing.

Calypso snorted. "Leo Valdez, just when I think you can't get any more immature, you go and do _this_."

"I'll have you know, my immaturity is one of my most attractive qualities."

Ahead of the pair, CAS abruptly stopped and swiveled his head around to face them, like some sort of creepy owl. His face was covered in spitballs, and Leo was pretty sure that if he were capable of glaring, he would be.

"Your acts of aggression are not appreciated," CAS said, and then he swiveled his head back to the front and resumed walking.

Leo shuddered. That thing knew how to be creepy when it wanted to be.

"A son of Hephaestus, scared of a robot?" Calypso teased.

Before Leo could reply, CAS stopped abruptly for a second time, but this time, he froze beneath a huge oak archway that Leo recognized from yesterday. Beyond CAS, Leo could already see the marble support columns and the high windows of the dining room. Golden light that seemed almost tangible flowed down from above, making the scene seem angelic. Once again, he was struck by how beautiful the entire place was. If Leo were going to turn into a hermit and shut himself up in a remote location for several millennia, he'd totally want a crib as sweet as this one.

CAS stepped aside and froze right next to the doorframe, allowing Leo and Calypso to step inside the room and enter. The table was set up exactly as it had been yesterday, and Helen was already seated, eating a plate of fried eggs and bacon. The scent instantly made Leo's mouth water.

Helen was looking at something on a tablet computer. She turned it off and placed it on the table to smile at the pair as they entered. She was dressed in a sundress similar to the one from the day before, and even at this hour of the morning, she looked ridiculously perfect, which Leo found really intimidating.

"Good morning," she said, and Leo noticed something like pity coating her words. "I hope you slept well, because today, we'll have to discuss something rather unpleasant: your current situation."

**A/N: Well, sorry this took me so long! The fight scene took ridiculously long to write, especially since I was trying to follow Rick's writing style as much as possible. Also, I had a lot going on at school, since it was midterm season. But now, I should be able to update quicker. Next chapter, I should finally be able to start setting up the plot. For anybody who's interested, I'm looking for a beta, so if you'd be interested, please PM me! Thanks!**


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